Before growing up to play eye-catching, manipulative adults, actor Jason
Bateman first established himself by playing attractive, but conniving young
boys. Regularly cast as a comic counterpoint to plain or naive leads, he brought a welcome shot excitement to the television series “Silver
Spoons” (1982-87) as Derek Taylor, the best friend of wealthy kid, Ricky
Stratton (Rick Schroeder). Focusing the oily charisma of Eddie Haskell
from "Leave It to Beaver", he played Derek
for three seasons before he was spun-off into a television series of his own.

Over the
next twenty years, the actor grew up before our eyes and the cameras, staying constantly employed in a number of
sitcoms. Among his most outstanding roles was that of oldest son, David Hogan on the long-running smash
hit comedy “Valerie”, then re-named “The Hogan Family” from 1986 to 1991. Making an effortless change-over from young teen actor to
adult leading man, he continued his career on television sitcoms – most notably with his comeback in the
dysfunctional family comedy “Arrested Development” ( 2003-06).

Born in Rye, New York on Jan. 14, 1969, Jason Kent Bateman was the son of
Hollywood producer Kent and the younger brother of actress Justine. He began acting at the age of ten as the star of an educational
film, which led to several TV commercials and eventually, series work. In
1981, the 12-year-old he scored a recurring role as James Cooper
Ingalls, an orphan adopted by Michael Landon’s character, on "Little House on the Prairie"
(1974-1983). But his big break came when he was cast as Derek on
“Silver Spoons.” Playing a cute, smooth talking young boy, his character
of Derek became popular with audiences, always stealing scenes from the series’ star, Ricky Schroeder.
Regardless of his
popularity – or perhaps because of it – his character was
written out of the show after the second season, purportedly at the request of Schroeder’s management.

Not staying down for long, he swiftly resurfaced in 1984 as the
star of his own show, “It’s Your Move” (1984-85). In this show, he starred as Matt Burton, a superficially angelic 14-year-old
con man, who meets his match in his mother's new
boyfriend, Norman Lamb (David Garrison). After the cancellation of "It's Your Move,"
he stayed busy in numerous guest roles and television movies. In 1986, he was cast in the role of Valerie Harper’s oldest son, David
Hogan, on the family sitcom "Valerie” – then renamed
“Valerie's Family,” then renamed again to “The Hogan Family"
(1986-1990). More down to earth than his previous
sitcom roles, the series gave the actor a comfortable place to work during a
large portion of his teen years.

Less memorable
television movies and guest appearances followed the end of "The Hogan
Family." He made his movie debut replacing Michael
J. Fox in the sequel, “Teen Wolf Too" (1987). In one of his unusual, solemn
roles, he played the brother of
real-life older sister, Justine (best known as Mallory Keaton on
“Family Ties”) in the television movie, "Can You Feel Me
Dancing?” (1986). Also produced by their father, the movie told the touching
story of an inventive blind teenager smothered by the attentions of
her family.

Growing into young adulthood, he showed up next in the
sitcom "Simon" (1995-96), playing an unemployed
MBA and recently divorced older brother of a perfect sibling. The young TV
veteran next accepted a lead on "Chicago Sons" (1996-97),
another sitcom about family love. Showing his trademark energetic flexibility,
he swiftly rebounded,
playing the son of Bob Newhart's character on the sitcom, "George
and Leo" (1997-98). While that show showed off his comedic talents that
had carried into adulthood, the series was
cancelled after just two seasons. The actor had even worse luck with his next
show, "Some of My Best Friends" (2001), where he played a
gay writer in Greenwich Village who takes in a gullible roommate. Not
surprisingly, that show was cancelled after just eleven shows.

In 2003, he landed the role that would bring him into the American
viewers heart, and the role that brought
him back to the forefront of comic TV actors. As Michael Bluth, the good son
born into a hopeless and completely dysfunctional family on the much loved Ron
Howard creation, "Arrested Development," his character was the only
voice of reason in the peculiar household, occupied with such celebrities as Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Jeffrey
Tambor and Michael Cera .
Low-rated, but loved by all, the show struggled in the Nielsen
ratings during its first season, but was finally picked up for another
season, thanks to
the support of Fox management and the millions of angry fans upset
that the comedy might be cancelled .

Although the ratings
failed to improve, the cast was gifted with well-deserved applause, above all
Jason, who won his first
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy.
Even with all its awards, “Arrested Development” could
not survive its low ratings. The sitcom was finally cancelled in
2006.

He
continued to do well as a supporting player in
big-screen comedies, including clever roles as a slimy mob lawyer in
"Starsky & Hutch" (2004) with Carmen Electra, about two streetwise cops
who bust criminals
in their red and white Ford Torino with the help of police nark called
Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg).

He then appeared as a sports commentator in
"Dodgeball" (2004) with Vince
Vaughn, about a group of misfits who enter a Las Vegas dodgeball
tournament in order to save their cherished local gym from the onslaught of
a corporate health fitness chain.

Next was the romantic comedy “The Break-Up” (2006) with Jennifer
Aniston, playing a real estate
agent refusing to give up his commission on a condo sold to a couple going through a nasty break-up.
He followed with a supporting role in another romantic comedy, “Fast Track”
starring Zack Braff and Amanda Peet
as Tom and Sofia Reilly, a happily married couple living in small-town Ohio
whose marital bliss is shattered, however, with the arrival of Sofia’s old
flame, Chip Sanders, a passive-aggressive paraplegic who
schemes to get Sofia back. He then appeared in the crime drama "Smokin'
Aces" (2006) with Ryan
Reynolds, a story about a Las Vegas performer Buddy
Israel who decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the
mob.

The following year he started strong with a starring role alongside
Jamie Foxx and Jennifer
Garner in the action thriller "The Kingdom" (2007), where a
team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an
American facility in the Middle East. He followed with the family comedy
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (2007) starring Dustin Hoffman
and Natalie Portman
before hitting it big with another breakout role in the Academy Award
winning dramatic comedy "Juno" (2007) starring Michael
Cera , Jennifer
Garner and Ellen Page.
"Juno" was a summer blockbuster with the tale told over four
seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in
Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best
friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and
whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple.

The following year he appeared in the romantic comedy "Forgetting
Sarah Marshall" (2008) with Kristen
Bell and Bill Hader, where a devastated man takes a Hawaii vacation in
order to deal with recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah.
Little does he know Sarah's traveling to the same resort as her ex ... and
she's bringing along her new boyfriend. Next for the now famous celebrity was the
action adventure "Hancock" (2008) with Charlize
Theron and Will Smith,
about a hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public
and enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public
relations professional who's trying to repair his image. he then had
the starring role in the thriller "State of Play" (2009) - based on the
BBC mini-series of the same title, where a team of investigative reporters
work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a
congressman's mistress.

Jason then worked with Jonah Hill and Rob Lowe in the comedy "This Side of the Truth" (2009),
a comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes
the opportunity for personal gain. Another comedy followed with
"Extract" (2009) a comedy from director Mike Judge that follows
the personal and professional problems endured by the owner of a
flower-extract plant. He wrapped his year with the long anticipated
feature movie "Arrested Development", reuniting with the original
cast, and based on the cult television series and catching
up with the brother and sister relationship, odd cousins, crooked businessman and Dumb Blondes.